Info:

Area: West Hampstead
Category: African & Caribbean
Address: First Floor, Ethiopian Community Centre, 2A Lithos Road, NW3 6EF
Phone: 020 7431 4213
Travel: Finchley Road tube
Hours: Meals served noon-midnight Tue-Sun and from 5pm Mon
Prices: Main courses £4.85-£9.50
Credit cards: AmEx, DC, MC, V

Review:

Located inside the decade-old Ethiopian Community Centre, Tobia (the ancient name for Ethiopia) is plain but spacious. Unlike most Ethiopian restaurants, which offer Italian-influenced, tomato-based Eritrean dishes, the menu is exclusively Ethiopian. We started with own-made Tej: amber-coloured wine fermented with gesho hops, honey and ginger – an acquired taste. Tender leg of lamb marinated in clarified butter and baked in banana leaves (a rare, ancient dish traditionally slow-cooked over charcoals) came with cracked wheat and assorted chilli and spice-based condiments. Vegetarians fare well (the Coptic Christian diet is vegan for nearly two-thirds of the year) with spicy wots made from lentils, split peas, spinach and roasted crushed chickpeas, served with enjera, and only vegetarian dishes are served on Wednesday and Friday. The traditional coffee ceremony, central to Ethiopian culture and steeped in superstition and social and religious significance, comes complete with burning frankincense and dense, spiced bread. Tobia is not for the uninitiated as it makes no concessions to western tastes. However, if you’re already a fan of Ethiopian cuisine, there's much to enjoy in chef-proprietor Sophie Sirak-Kebede's honest, homely cooking and warm hospitality.

Services:

Takeaway service: Vegetarian menu (Wed, Fri). Vegan dishes
Booking: Booking advisable weekends
No smoking: No-smoking tables
Takeaway service: Takeaway service
Child facilities: Babies and children welcome
Source: Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2005
User Ratings:

	Ambiance	*****
	Food	*****
	Service	*****
	Value for Money	*****
	Overall	*****

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